Wellness Month

List of 5 items.

• Parent Speaker Series: "How to Talk to Your Child About Anxiety"

  “How to Talk to Your Child About Anxiety.” Health and Wellness Coordinator Catherine Graves shared resources and talking points appropriate for each division.
  
  Ms. Graves’ experience includes 17 years as a professional school counselor in public and independent schools. She earned an M.S. in counseling and human development and is a National Certified Counselor and National Certified School Counselor. In 2024 she earned her Board Certified Coach credential and is a life coach with a focus on parent coaching and caregiver coaching. 

• Week 1: February 3-7

  Mindful Monday, February 3 

  Mindful Moment: Three Things in Common 

  
  

  Talk it out Tuesday, February 4  

  Family Discussion Prompt: How can we be more mindful of others at home and school? 

  
  

  Wellness Wednesday, February 5

  Mrs. Graves’ Mindfulness Book List for Families 

  
  

  Thoughtful Thursday, February 6

  For Families: Make a list of three positive qualities that someone has and give them the list. Variations: You can discuss this as a family and everyone can verbally say three positive qualities about each person, or each person can make a list of three positive qualities about themselves. 

  
  

  Healthy Habits Friday, February 7

  Video for Parents: All it takes is 10 mindful minutes (10-minute TED Talk by Andy Puddicombe) 
  
  

  Try setting an alarm on your watch or clock to alert you every few hours, and take two minutes each time to be mindful and in the present moment. You can work up to two breaks of five minutes each day.

• Week 2: February 10-14

  Mindful Monday, February 10

  Mindful Moment: Life is Good (Grades JK-2)

                                Still I Feel Lucky (Grades 3-12)

  
  

  Talk it out Tuesday, February 11

  Family Discussion Prompt: What is one kind thing that you did for someone else today? What is something kind that someone else did for you? 

  
  

  Wellness Wednesday, February 12

  Lower School Families: 

  Article: Raising Includers: 5 Tips to Help Your Kids Be Kind and Compassionate (PBS)

  Book: Have you filled a bucket today? by Dr. Carol McCloud (Read aloud by the author at Bucketfillers101) 

  
  

  Middle/Upper School Families:  

  Article: Parenting Teens with Empathy: Building Strong Connections (Pearl Crescent Counseling in TX) 

  Book: Unselfie by Michele Borba, Ed.D.

  
  

  All Families:
  The yoga and mindfulness sources from this week’s Wellness Wednesday for each division are:

  Yoga Pretzels: 50 Fun Yoga Activities for Kids and Grownups by Tara Guber and Leah Kalish

  
  

  Mindful Kids: 50 Mindfulness Activities for Kindness, Focus and Calm by Whitney Stewart and Mina Braun

  
  

  Thoughtful Thursday, February 13 

  For Families: As a family, generate a list of some acts of kindness with each person coming up with 3-5 acts of kindness that they can do for others. Choose three acts of kindness to do for three people tomorrow for Valentine’s Day! 

  
  

  Healthy Habits Friday, February 14 

  Happy Valentine’s Day! 

  As a family, make a kindness jar for the ideas you generated yesterday. Write the kindness  ideas down on slips of paper (or cut out hearts) and place them in a jar or glass. Each day, choose three acts from the jar OR write down other acts of kindness that you did that day. At the end of February, look back and see what acts of kindness your family has completed. You can either keep these slips of paper and add them to the jar each month or sprinkle them like confetti!

• Week 3: February 17-21

  Mindful Monday, February 17

  Mindful Moment: Among other things, February 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day. On this day off from school, use the kindness ideas you listed last week and find ways to spread kindness in your neighborhood. 

  
  

  Talk it out Tuesday, February 18

  Family Discussion Prompt: How can we prioritize sleep for each member of our family? What routines do we already have in place that are working? Do we need to change anything about bedtimes to maximize sleep during the school week? 

  
  

  Wellness Wednesday, February 19

  Mrs. Graves’ Sleep Resources

  
  

  Thoughtful Thursday, February 20 

  Sleep is impacted by many factors, and one of those is screen time.

  For Families:  

  How to Set Limits on Screen Time (Child Mind Institute)

  Screen Time and Children (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology)

  Commonsense Media (resources for ratings and reviews  on video games, movies, etc.) 

  
  

  Healthy Habits Friday, February 21 

  As a family, try to unplug from screens for at least one hour on Saturday and/or Sunday and spend time together. Play a board or card game, read books, or take a family walk.  

  What do you notice about the times that you are not on a screen (phone, computer, tablet, TV)? Is your overall mood different in the times that you are not on screens? 

  
  

• Week 4: February 24-28

  Mindful Monday, February 24 

  Mindful Moment: Feeling My Feet 

  Just a reminder to “be where your feet are” and stay in the moment. 

  
  

  Talk it out Tuesday, February 25 

  Family Discussion Prompt: How can we prioritize healthy choices for our family? Think about food choices, sleep, schedules, exercise, downtime, etc.

  
  

  Wellness Wednesday, February 26 

  Healthy Eating for Families (myplate.gov)

  
  
  

  Thoughtful Thursday, February 27 

  Parents, please join Mrs. Graves today for a virtual presentation from 12-1 p.m. on How to Talk to Your Child About Anxiety. Use this link to join the meeting.

  
  

  Healthy Habits Friday, February 28 

  How to Move More Anytime, Anywhere (American Heart Association)

  
  
  

  “If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.” -attributed to Joyce Sunada

  
  

  Although Steward’s Wellness Month is coming to an end, we hope you have found some ways to prioritize your wellness daily. The Center for Engagement is available if you need more resources. Take care and be well!